A Soldiers Past
by zeichnerinaga
Summary: Years after Alex Rider left, a certain soldier might just have found a hint to what happened to him.
1. a soldiers past

**I don't own own anything you recognice! Please review!**

It was raining. It had been raining for several weeks on end now. Well, this area was known for its heavy rainfall, but it seemed to be a bit much for even here.

It seemed almost like a foretelling of coming doom to the 21 year old soldier standing on the muddied soil.

The soldier was in the middle of a small assignment, easy but long and exhausting. He was called squirrel. Squirrel was of average high, muscular, with black hair and blue eyes. He was on this assignment with his 3 teammates and two other units. they had already been staying here for two weeks, and they had another whole week to go, till they got to go home.

It was a standard mission. Go in, observe, get out. Still, since two days ago something just didn't feel right.

The soldier has had this feeling before. Always right before his best friend would disappear for weeks on end. Maybe that was the reason the rain felt wrong. The sun could shine and it would still feel wrong.

His best friend. Alex Rider. He was the reason why he had joined the army in the first place.

While his other classmates had shunned Alex and called him a druggy and a criminal, he had stayed with his friend, knowing the truth about him.

No, Alex Rider was neither a druggy, nor a criminal. He had missed classed a lot, with next to no excuse at all after his uncles dead, but Alex hadn't been like that.

The soldier sighted, going over his memories again.

It was six years ago that he had seen the last of his former friend. He didn't even know if he was still alive! That had been his reason why had joined the army. It's what he told others when they asked him for his reason for joining the army.

His former classmates had always just assumed Alex had been into drugs and in a Gang, so they thought he wanted to stop other kids from becoming like that. They were wrong.

Alex Rider had been a spy. Maybe he still was. The soldier sincerely hopped so.

He had wanted to be like him. Wanted to be like Alex Rider. Strong and brave, always fighting. Back then it had seemed heroic. Bu there were also other reasons. He had wanted to be closer to him. Understand him. Besides - if anyone knew what had happened to Alex, he could only find them here.

Maybe - maybe he could even see him again. If he was still alive, that is. The average live expectation for a spy was 3 years after all, and Alex would be in the business for eight years now.

That's why he had joined in. With luck, he would see Alex again. And Alex had always been a lucky guy. Till he suddenly disappeared without another trace.

He sighted again, starring out into the rain, running a hand through his wet, black hair. No point worrying about what could be the past.

...

Behind Squirrel, another soldier came out of one big, green tent.

"Hey squirrel, want some coffee?"

"Sure, thanks Tiger." He took the cup of coffee from Tiger.

"You should hear that stuff that is coming in over the radio just now. There's some idiot playing around with it somewhere. Damn tourists!"

That peaked his interest. "Oh? What's he saying?"

"Something about playboy and how he's American and he will be the next president or something. Completely drunk, that guy is. Come listen for yourself."

Curious Squirrel followed Tiger back into the tent. At once he knew just what Tiger had meant.

"Hey everyone, I am repeating. This magnificent _American_ man here will be the next _president_. And as I am _burning my last_ playboy _bunny_, I am trying to make this damn _video recorder_ to work, 'cause it seems like it's very much _broken_!"

The voice sounded a bit exasperated, slurred and drunk, but Squirrel thought he heard a slightly panicked tone underneath.

"This has been going for the past hour." Crow, the communication expert grumbled. "I'd tell him to stop it, but then we'd give ourselves away."

Another soldier, Horse, laughed. "Leave him be Crow. I think it's funny."

That's where squirrel cut in. "This has been going on for an hour now?" He asked. This seemed a bit strange to him.

"Yeah, and he's always repeating himself, too. It's not a recorded message, though. He sometimes changes some words or how he says something, but he says the same thing over and over again." Crow confirmed.

For a moment an old memory from before Alex had left school flashed in his mind.

"Let me talk to him one moment. I've got a hunch." He said and sat in front of the radio.

He took the microphone and started talking in a slurred voice that made him himself sound slightly drunk.

"Hey howdy there Mr. _American_ there, what are you doing here? I've just had my _coffee break_, you know, have had a bit much coffee apparently." Here he giggled drunkenly. "You've only got one _video recorder_? Hey, guess what! How many _fingers_ am I holding up? _Guess_?" He giggled again.

The tent was silent, while they waited for the Americans response.

It seemed as if the silent stretched for forever, but it was only a few seconds until a scratching sound could be heard over the radio.

"Hey there! Who's talking? I've been trying to reach someone in, like, forever! Ohm, are you holding up _3 fingers_? I bet you just are. Yeah, yeah, only _one video recorder_, and _broken_ too. sad thing, that is. Sometimes it seems as if it's working again though. Really boring here. Hey, you've got some _crisps_? I could do with some _beer_ as well. Haven't got any anymore, you see."

"Sure I've got crisps and beer. How could a guy survive without _crisps_ and _beer_?" Drunken giggling. "Here's _Mickey Mouse_ by the way! _Mickey Mouse_!" He laughed. "So, _how can I find you_? We can't let you go without _crisps_ and _beer_ after all."

This time the American laughed a bit as well.

"Ah, I'm probably a bit _hard to find_. There's this _wash saloon_ at _the corner_, right there at the old cinema. You know where I mean?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm gonna find you."

"Good."

It took quite a bit to convince the leader of the mission to actually go there and save the man. Not that they thought he needed saving.

"Squirrel, that guy was just drunk, he won't even remember what he said in an hour."

"No, listen, I am telling you, this was a code. He needs help. There's an injured solder with him and they have neither water nor food. Come on, we've got to help them!"

"And you are sure they are there?"

"I am. There are at least 3 enemies around somewhere though, so we have to be careful."

"Ok, we will do this Squirrel, but I swear, if there is nobody …"

"It won't happen. I'm sure of it."

...

"Hey, is there anyone?" "Yeah, we're here!"

Squirrel saw two man in the small cave. Soldiers, one of them injured.

"Hey, you're the American? We're the rescue team."

"Mickey Mouse?" He laughed. "Yeah. You're Eagle, right?"

The other soldier was stunned. "Yes, but …, how … ?"

Squirrel just smiled.

Eagle shook his head. "This is Boar, my teammate. He's been slipping in and out of consciousness for the last 3 days. That's how long we're here already. The radio was broken and I had to repair it first. I'm so glad you responded. It was an idiotic idea, but I couldn't risk asking outright for help, not with enemies around somewhere. If you had not come we would have been in for it. Thanks. But, I really would not have thought there would be someone who knows this code here?"

He asked the last past curious.

"so, this code isn't very common?" Tiger asks.

"No, not common at all. mostly secret service, but even there only a few guys know it. mostly those that are pretty high up the chain. I only know it because, well, I can't really say why I know it." Eagle smiled apologetic.

"You know because you're Eagle, because you're a member from K-unit." Squirrel whispered.

Eagle looked at him. "Well, what is your story? How do you know the code?"

Squirrel shook his head. "Sorry, can't really say either."

...


	2. Code

**For all those that are interrested in the code I used:**

Code:

_American_=Eagle

_President_=Soldier/needs help

_burning_=using/last attempt

_playboy bunny_=crazy idea/plan

_video recorder_=partner

_broken_=hurt/injured

_coffee break_=just came in

_finger_=enemies?

_guess_=tell me

_3 fingers_=3 enemies

crisps=food

_beer_=water

_Mickey Mouse_=Tom Harris

_hard to find/wash saloon/at the corner/old cinema_=coordinates/directions


	3. ending

**Hey guys, sory for the long wait, here's the end, after there had been a few missunderstandings.**

**...**

The sergeant was … well, what exactly was he? Surprised? Stunned? Shocked? Amazed?

He couldn't tell. Two of his best men that had been missing for three days had just been rescued by a group of _newbie's_.

He looked over the files of the soldiers.

Squirrel.

The one that had been mentioned the most in the missions reports.

There was nothing special about him.

How the hell had the brat known a top-secret communication code?

Most soldiers didn't even know such this code existed!

The sergeant sighted. In one hour a few senior agent from MI6 would be here. If he didn't have an explanation for how a lowly recruit got top secret information even he did not have until then …

God help him.

Squirrel sure as hell hadn't been cooperating and had refused to say anything.

...

Squirrel ran a hand trough his hair. The sergeant had been questioning him about the code. He had seemed pretty annoyed (well, more like right out pissed), when he had not said anything.

Now he was standing before the sergeants hut once again.

"Enter."

The sergeants voice called him in.

He opened the door end stepped into the room.

"Squirrel. This is Senior Agent Ben Daniels from MI6. He would like to know where you have got the code from." the sergeant said, but Squirrel already didn't pay any attention to him anymore. All his awareness was concentrated upon the agent in front of him, Ben Daniels.

"Big brother? Really? Pleasure to finally meet you, sir."

The man eyed him warily. "How _do_ you know the code?" He finally asked.

Squirrel shot a cautious glance towards the sergeant. "How is the devil lately?" He asked instead of answering.

"I ask again, soldier, _how_ do you know the code?" This time, Agent Daniels asked with more force.

Squirrel looked towards the sergeant again and shook his head. "I'm sorry sir."

This time, the Agent seemed to finally understand him. "Could we talk alone for a moment, sergeant?"

As soon as they were alone, he asked again. "Who told you the code?"

"No one sir. There was no need. I invented it."

_I invented it._

There.

He said it.

"Tom Harris?"

"Hey. How is Alex?"

...

**There you have it. The End. Hope you're satisfied. I am.**

**Now there is no misunderstanding anymore.**

It was really Tom who invented the code. Not Alex. Tom.

Well everyone, attention:

**Alex Rider-Time travel _CHALLENGE:_**

Prologue: Alex/Cub 10 years in the future.

Evil scientist invents machine, nobody knows what it does, Alex tries stopping him and wakes hearing Ian's voice.

Chapter 1: Alex wakes up from hearing Ian's voice. He's confused, thinks it's a dream or a hallucination and begs Ian to stay anyway. he is 14 again, and Ian is to depart for Cornwall, just before he is supposed to die. Alex talks about the mission.

Chapter 2: Ian is confused by Alex. He has no idea how Alex knows that he is a spy or about the mission he is supposed to go on. He takes Alex to _the bank_.

That's about as far as I got.


End file.
